Cover latch for automobile baggage compartments



Jan. 9, 1951 R. sTEvENsoN COVER LATCH FOR AUTOMOBILE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENTS Filed Nov. 28, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'lill/1111111 Ill/11111121,lll/1111111111111:

Jan- 9, 1951 R. L. sTEvENsoN 2,537,799

COVER LATCH FOR AUTOMOBILE-BAGGAGE COMPARTMENTS Filed Nov. 28, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 9, 1951 COVER LATCH FOR AUTOMOBILE BAGGAGE CMPARTMENTS Robert Louis Stevenson, Overland Park, Kans.

Application November 28, 1949, Serial No. 129,740

9 Claims. (Cl. 217-60) hinge of said cover and carrying a latch bar adapted to engage a notch in a latch member secured to said cover when said cover is opened, of novel means for attaching said Varm to said cover so that it will at all .times move in a prescribed relation thereto, and for urging said arm firmly in non-rattling relation against said cover when said cover is closed.

Another object is the provision, in a cover latch of the class described, of novel means for releasing said cover latch simply by a slight upward movement of the cover.

A further object is the provision, in a cover latch ofthe class described, of means for preventing lateral iiexing of the arm when the cover is in the open position.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, eiciency and convenience of operation, conservation of space within the baggage compartment, and adaptability for use with many types and styles of automobiles.

With these objects in view, as Well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specication, reference will be `had to the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective veiw of an automobile, with a baggage compartment cover latch embodying the present invention attached thereto.

Fig, 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal section of the rearward portion of the automobile, showing the baggage compartment cover, latch, and associated parts, with parts left in elevation. The cover is shown open in solid lines and closed in dottedr lines.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken on line LII-III of Fig. 2, with the cover closed. n

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 2, with the cover closed.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line V-V of Fig. 2, with the cover closed.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts lthroughout the several views, and the numeral 2 vapplies to an automobile having a bodylenclosing within its rearward portion the usual baggage compartment or trunk 5. Said baggage compartment is accessible through an opening 8 formed in the body, and said opening is provided with a cover or lid l0 connected' at its forward end with body 4 by means of a single hinge l2 disposed in the longitudinal centerline of the automobile. The aXisfof said hinge extends transversely to the automobile. y At its rearward edge, which is usually curved downwardly, cover i0 is provided with a lock mechanism I4 adapted to engage a keeper I6 carried by car body 4 at the rearward edge of opening 8, thereby securing said cover in its closed position. Said lock mechanism may be of any suitable type, and is not shown krin detail.

The latch for securing cover i0 in the open position includes an arm I8 formed preferably of sheet metal and having infcross-section a, substantially inverted U-form, as best shown in Fig. 5, thus presenting side walls 20. Forming the arm in this manner providesv good strength and rigidity with a minimum of weight, and provides a hollow interior within which the latch parts are normally concealed. Said arm is disposed longitudinally of the automobile, and is adapted to overlie the outer surface of cover lll and the surface of car body iii immediately forward of said cover, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The lower edges of side walls 2G are shaped to conform to the contour of the cover and adjacent portion of the car body and are provided with inwardly turned flanges 22 extending substantially the full length thereof. The contour of the outer edge of the arm is entirely a question of choice, so long as there is sufficient space therein to accommodate the latch parts hereinafter described. At its forward end arm I8 is pivotally connected by a pin 24 to a bracket 26 for movement in a vertical plane, the pivotal axis thereof being parallel to the pivotal aXis-of cover i0. Said bracket is fixed by means of bolts 28 to car body 4 in forwardly spaced relation from the axis of hinge l2 and adjacent the inclined portion 39 of car body 4 which carries the usual rear window 32. A reinforcing plate 34 may be placed against the inner `surface of car body 4 to receive bolts Z6.

A latch bar 36 extends between side walls 25 of arm I8 intermediate the ends thereof, being parallel to the pivotal axis of said arm. Each end portion of said latch bar is fiattened and is secured by means of a bolt 38 to an inverted U- shaped bracket 46 welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the upper surface of the adjacent arm ange Z2, as best shownin Figs. 5 and 6. .Said bolts, extend through elongated slots i2 formed in said brackets, said slots extending longitudinally of arm I8. Thus by loosening bolts 33, latch bar 36 may be moved forwardly or rearwardly, for a purpose hereinafter appearing. Flanges 22 are cut out between the legs of brackets 46, as best shown in Fig. 6, in order to provide access to bolts 38 when arm i3 is raised.

Latch bar 36 is contacted and moved by a latch plate lli carried by cover IQ. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, said latch plate is fixed to the outer surface of cover i by any suitable means such as rivets 56, and is disposed in a vertical plane at the longitudinal centerline of the automobile, extending upwardly into arm iS. Said plate is provided with an elongated slot 48 through which latch bar extends, said slot having an upper wall S and a lower wall 52. The forward end portion 54 of said slot is adjacent coverl B, being straight and inclined upwardly and rearwardly. Latch bar 3% is carried in this portion of the slot when the coveris closed. The slot then inclines upwardly at a sharper angle, and Vcurves rearwardly, as best shown in Fig. 2. Adjacent its rearward end, lower wall 52 of theslot isoiset downwardly to `form a notch which is adapted to engage the latch bar when the cover is open. Notch L56 is connected with upper wall 5c of the slot bya smoothly curved wall 5S which curves .upwardly and rearwardly from notch 5E, then forwardly and downwardly to connect with wall It will be noted that wall 58 extends forwardly from notch 5t. Latch bar 36 is provided with a pair of spaced apart integral guide Vmembers 56 which extend upwardly therefrom at opposite sides of latchrplate 24. Said guide membersiprevent transverse'flexing of arm it when said armvis in its raised position. A plurality'of resilient pads G2 made of rubber or other suitable material are cementedtotthe lower surfaces of anges 22 at spaced intervals along the por- .f

tions `thereof overlying cover i0. Said pads protect the iinish of the automobile body and preventrattling of the latch as hereinafter described.

The operation of the latch is substantially as follows: When cover le is unlocked and raised'in the usual manner, the lower wall 52 of slot y48 contacts and raises latch bar 3E, which in turn raises arm i8. Since said arm is pivotedat a point spaced forwardly from the cover hinge, raisingthe cover 'causes latch bar to be forced rearwardly relative to the cover, andsaid latch bar moves slidably in slot 4S. The inclination of said slot away from cover lil causes'a quick separation of arm i8 from said cover, and permits said arm and cover to pivot freely without interferences. As shown in Fig. 2, latch bar `SI5 and notch 5'6 of slot 4S move in converging arcs as the cover vis raised. When the cover has been raisedsuiiiciently to bring latch bar 36 opposite notch 56, said latch bar will fallinto said notch by gravity. The cover is then securely latched in the open position as shown in solid lines in Fig. 2, since the latch bar will prevent any downward pivotal movement of the cover. The forward face of notch 56 is undercut to prevent accidental dislodgment of the latch bar therefrom.

When it is desired to close the cover, the-cover `isrst pushed slightly upwardly and then allowed As the cover is lowered, latch bar 3B rides along 'siliently Acompressing pads B2.

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lower wall 52 of slot 48 until pads 62 contact the outer surface of cover i. At that time the downward movement of arm i3 is momentarily arrested until the upper wall 5i! of the slot strikes latch bar 36. During the final closing movement of the cover, the latch bar is forced downwardly toward the cover by latch plate mi, thereby forcing the arm rmly against lthe cover and re- The resilience of said pads holds the parts firmly against rattling or relative movement. The latch bar may be moved adjustably forwardly or rearwardly as previously described, in order that pads 62 will be properly compressed when the cover is fully closed.

This adjustment provides a compensation for variations of manufacture in the automobile body and inaccuracies of mounting the latch parts thereon, and also provides means for taking up wear of the rubber pads. Forming the forward end portion 5i! of slot ata smaller angle of inclination to cover if: than the adjacent portion of said slot provides that the adjustment of latch bar 3'5 will be less critical, and that a larger component of the downward force of the cover will be utilized for holding the arm against the cover.

Thus it is apparent that a cover 'latch having several advantages has been produced. The enclosure of the latch parts in proper relation at all times, and prevents separation of the arm and cover. The latch engages automatically when the cover is opened and may be disengaged by a simple movement of the cover. The latchbar serves the triple function of securing 4the cover inthe open position, guiding the `arm in proper relation to the cover, and pressing the arm' against the coverwhen said cover is closed. The latch is adjustable to compensate for 'wear and for inaccuracies of manufacture. The latch is disposed entirely outside of the luggage vcompartment. The vworking parts of the latch are normally completely concealed within an arm member, vthe shape of which may be varied widely Vto blend with and contribute to the artistic appearance of the automobile. 'The cover hinge may be concealed within the arm as shown. By varying the size and configuration of thelatch plate. the latch may be adapted for use on automobiles permitting greater or smaller distances between the arm and cover hinges, or different'body con- The latch is yextremely simple, durable, rattle-proof, and not likely to get out of Vorder. While I have disclosed a specific embodiment of kmy invention, it is apparent that many minor changes of construction and operation could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

VWhat I claim is:

1. The combination, with an automobile having a luggage compartment and a generally upwardly opening cover for said luggage compartment hingeably secured to the body of said automobile, of a latch for securing said cover in the openposition comprising a latch plate xed to the outer surface of said cover in a plane at right angles to the pivotal axis thereof and in spaced relation to said axis, said latch'plate having a slet formed therein with a downwardly offset notch adjacent the end thereof `nearest the reeedge of said cover, an arm pivoted to said automobile body about an axis disposed` in spacedapart vrelation from said cover axis and `:parallel thereto, said arm overlying said cover, `and alatch bar carried by said arm parallel .to 'the axis thereof and extending. through the slot' of said latch plate, whereby as said cover is opened said latch bar and said notch will move .in onverging arcs, said latch bar movingl slidably in said slot until it falls into said notch.

2. The combination, with an automobile having a luggage compartment and a generally upwardly opening cover for said luggage compartment hingeably secured along one edge to the body of said automobile of a latch or securing `said cover in the open position comprising a latch plate fixed to the outer surface of said cover in a plane at right angles to the pivotal axis thereof and in spaced relation tolsaid axis, said latch plate having a slot formed therein, said slot Abeing inclined outwardly from the surfaceof said cover inthe direction of the free edge of said cover and having a downwardly offset notch formed adjacent the outer end thereof, an arm pivoted to said automobile body about an axis disposed in spaced relation from said cover axis and parallel thereto, said arm overlying said cover, and a latch bar fixed to said arm parallel to the pivotal axis thereof, said latch bar projecting through said slot adjacent the end thereof nearest the cover axis when said cover is closed, whereby when said cover is opened said latch bar will move through said slot and engage said notch, and whereby when said cover is closed said latch plate will engage said latch bar to force said arm against said cover.

3. The combination, with an automobile having a luggage compartment and a generally upwardly opening cover for said luggage compartment hingeably secured to the body of said automobile, of a latch for securing said cover in the open position comprising a latch plate xed to the outer surface of said cover in a plane at right angles to the pivotal axis thereof and in spaced relation to said axis, said latch plate having a slot formed therein with a downwardly offset notch adjacent the end thereof nearest the free edge of said cover, an arm pivoted to said automobile body about an axis disposed in spacedapart relation from said cover axis and parallel thereto, said arm overlying said coverfa latch bar carried by said arm parallel to the axis thereof and extending through the slot of said latch plate, whereby as said cover is opened said latch bar and said notch will move in converging arcs, said latch bar moving slidably in said slot until it falls into said notch, and a pair of guides fixed to said latch bar and extending along opposite sides of said latch plate.

4. The combination, with an'automobile having a luggage` compartment and a generally upwardly opening cover for said luggage compartment hingeably secured along one edge to the body of said automobile, of a latch for securing said cover in the open position comprising a latch plate ixed to the outer surface of said cover in a plane at right angles to the pivotalY axis thereof and in spaced relation to said axis, said latch plate having a slot formed therein, said slot being inclined outwardly from the surface of said cover in the direction of the free edge of said cover and having a downwardly oiset notch formed adjacent the outer end thereof, an arm pivoted to said automobile body about an axis disposed in spaced relation from said cover axis and parallel thereto, said arm overlying said cover, a latch bar xed to said arm parallel to the pivotal axis thereof, said latch bar projecting through said slot adjacent the end thereof nearest the cover axis when said cover is closed,

whereby when -said cover is opened said latch bar willmove through said slot and engage said notch, and whereby when said cover is closed4 said latch plate will engage said -latch bar to force said arm against said cover, and a plurality of resilient pads carried by said arm and adapted to be compressed between said arm and said cover when said cover is closed. v

`5. The combination, with an automobile having a luggage compartment and a generally upwardly opening cover for said luggage compartment hingeably secured along one edge to the body of said automobile, of' a latch for securing said cover in the open position comprising a iatch plate fixed to the outer surface of said cover in a plane at right angles to the pivotal aixs thereof and in spaced relation to said axis, said latch plate having a slot formed thereirrsaid slot est the cover axis when said cover is closed,

whereby when said cover is opened said latch bar will move through said slot and engage said notch, and whereby when said cover is closed said latch plate will engage said latch Abar to force said arm against said cover, and means for adjusting said latch bar longitudinally of said arm.

6. The combination, with an automobile havking a luggage compartment and a generally upwardly opening'cover for said luggage compartment hingeably secured along one .edge to the body of said automobile, of a latch for securing said cover in the open position comprising a latch plate fixed to the outer surface of said cover in a plane at right angles to the pivotal axis thereof and in spaced relation to said axis, said latch plate having a slot formed therein, said slot being inclined outwardly from the surface of said cover in the directicn of the free edge of said cover and havingr a downwardly offset notch formed adjacent the outer end thereof, an arm pivoted to said automobile body about an axis disposed in spaced relation from said coveraxis and parallel thereto, said arm overlying said cover, a latch bar fixed to said arm parallel tc the pivotal axis thereof, said latch bar projecting through said slot adjacent the end thereof nearest the ycover axis when said cover is closed, whereby when said cover is opened said latch bar will move through said slot and engage said notch, and whereby when said cover is closed said latch plate will engage said latch bar to force said arm against said cover, a plurality of resilient pads carried by said arm and adapted to be compressed between said arm and said cover when said cover is closed,

and means for adjustably moving said latch bar and in spaced relation to said axis, said latch plate having a slot formed therein, said slot being through said slot, said latch bar being positioned in said slot section of smaller inclination when said cover .is closed, and means for adjusting said latch bar longitudinallyirelative to said arm.

8. The combination, with an automobile having a luggage compartment and a generally upwardly opening cover for said luggage compartment hingeably secured along one edge to the 'body of said automobile, of a latch for securing said cover in the open position comprising a latch plate fixed to the outer surface of said cover in 1a plane at right angles to the pivotal axis thereof and in spaced relation 'to said axis, said latch plate having a slot formed therein, said slot being inclined outwardlyr from the surface of said cover in the direction of the free edge of said cover and having a downwardly offset notch formed adjacent the outer end thereof, the end wall of said slot adajcent said notch being curved smoothly from the bottom of said notch to the top wall of said slot, an arm pivoted to said automobile 'body about an axis parallel to and spaced apart from :said `cover axis, and a latch bar extending through said slot at right angles to said latch plate and xed rigidly to said arm, said latch bar extending through the inner end portion'of said slot when said cover is closed.

.9. The combination, with an automobile hav- -ing a luggage compartment and a generally up'- Awardly opening cover for said luggage compartment hingeably secured along one edge to the body of said automobile, of a latch for securing said cover in the open position comprising a latch plate xed to the outer surface of said cover in a plane at right angles to the pivotal axis thereof and in spaced relation to said axis, said latch plate having a slot formed therein, said slot being inclined outwardly from the surface of said cover in the direction of the free edge of said cover and having a downwardly offset notch .formed adjacent the outer end thereof, the upper wall of said slot and the bottom wall of said notch being connected by a smoothly curved wall, said curved wall extending above the extended line of said top slot wall and overlapping the entry to said notch, an arm pivoted to said automobile body about an axis parallel to and spaced apart from said -cover axis, and a latch bar extending through said slot at right angles to said latch plate and fixed rigidly to said arm, said arm extending through the inner end portion of said slot when said cover is closed.

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.

No references cited. 

